The Daily Mail, Daily Star and Daily Express managed month-on-month circulation rises in August, but no daily tabloid title managed to increase sales year on year.

Richard Desmond's decision to slash the price of the Daily Star by 50% in early July to just 10p continues to pay dividends, with the title recording a 2.23% month-on-month circulation rise to 862,005, according to Audit Bureau of Circulations figures published today. However, year on year it was down 2.8%.

Its stablemate the Daily Express achieved a 1.14% monthly rise to 671,414. However, sales of the title were down 8.05% year on year.

The Daily Mail was the strongest performer in the daily tabloid sector in August with a month-on-month rise in circulation of 2.45% to 2,169,690. This was a fall of just 0.09% year on year.

"A combination of excellent collectable promotions, including our ever popular Dream Cottage and i-Spy books to break up those long holiday journeys, underpinned by a major growth in our subscriber base, have helped the Daily Mail to produce the best results in a challenging market," said the paper's circulation director, Neil Jagger.

The Sun

Headline circulation: 3,009,987

Month-on-month change: -1.07%

Year-on-year change: -3.79%

Daily Mail

Headline circulation: 2,169,690

Month-on-month change: +2.45%

Year-on-year change: -0.09%

UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 1,907,287 (88% of total)

Overseas: 149,228

Daily Mirror

Headline circulation: 1,232,961

Month-on-month change: -0.76%

Year-on-year change: -6.94%

Daily Star

Headline circulation: 862,005

Month-on-month change: +2.23%

Year-on-year change: -2.8%

Daily Express

Headline circulation: 671,414

Month-on-month change: +1.14%

Year-on-year change: -8.05%

Headline circulation includes lesser rate sales, subscriptions, bulks – copies sold to airlines, rail companies, hotels and gyms for a nominal fee and given free to the public – and distribution in Ireland and overseas. UK and Ireland paid-for circulation excludes bulks and overseas distribution; where this figure is not given, bulks and overseas distribution account for less than 5% of total circulation

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